Spotify Codes + Beta Call

About Spotify Codes

Spotify has recently take a page from the Snapchat marketing playbook and added a new QR-Code like feature that enables you to share music via scannable images. The new Spotify Codes feature allows user to create unique barcode for every song, album, artist, and playlist.

This new feature is only available on mobile version of Spotify’s music application for now. Users can scan these Spotify Codes with their camera from within the Spotify app (located in the Spotify app’s search bar) to instantly play that music.

April 19, 2017April 20, 2017

Linkfire Alternatives

Linkfire provides “intelligent links” that help route fans to the music. These smart links are designed to word globally sending fans to country-specific iTunes storefronts. There are a number of link shortening alternative work consider that are are significantly less expensive (or free), these include:

Flyt

Flyt is a link shortener designed with the intention of tracking sales and helping music labels, book publisher, and other providers make money off of links. his works by giving the link creator a cut of the money made when a product is sold through that link. This feature is globalized, taking the user to the country-specific storefront. Another significant feature is API support which allows partners such as Metablocks to provide tight integration with platforms and product lines.

April 19, 2017April 20, 2017

Link Shorteners for the Music Industry

Linkfire
Domains: lnk.to
Positioning: Smart links for music marketing
Markets: Music (Only)
Background:
Launched out of Copenhagen, Denmark in 2013, and changed focus to the music industry in 2014.
Features: Targeting, Interstitial, Affiliation, Translation, Mobile Deep Linking, and Editing.
Clients: Universal Music Group (UMG), Sony Music Entertainament (SME)- International, Warner Music Group (WMG)
Cost: Approx 10-12K based on news sources

SmartURL
Domains: smarturl.it, hyperurl.co
Positioning: Globally redirect, track and manage all of your URLs
Markets: Music, Other
Background:
Launched in late 2011 by Gupta Media, based in Boston, MA.
Features: Targeting, Interstitial, Affiliation, Translation, Retargeting, and Editing.
Clients: Universal Music Group (UMG), Sony Music Entertainament, Warner Music Group (WMG)
Cost: Limited free version, enterprise approx $1,000 / month.

April 1, 2017April 1, 2017

History of Link Shorteners and the Music Industry

History of Link Shorteners

Before there were music retail landing pages, like the ones from Metablocks, Linkfire and Gupta’s Smarturl, there were only link shorteners. URLs play a big role on the Internet. They are the connectors of the web. URLs have come a long way since their inception over 20 years ago. Especially with the creation of the URL Shortener, which has come to play an important part in retaining the importance and usefulness of the URL in our ever-evolving digital landscape. URL Shorteners have moved from simply being a tool to shorten your link, to an integral tracking tool used to refine marketing initiatives and drive brand growth, and now have lead to the creation and evolution of retail link pages. Here is where link shorteners step it! Kevin Gilbertson, created the first URL shortener, TinyURL, in 2002. The popularity of TinyURLs quickly influenced the creation of at least 100 similar websites. As the web has developed, URLs are becoming longer, so URL Shorteners were becoming really useful, especially when it comes to music!

April 1, 2017April 16, 2017

Linkfire – Competitors

About Linkfire (Music Retail Landing Pages)

One link to serve them all: That is Linkfire’s aim – to reach all fans, no matter their music consumption preferences, in one fell swoop.

The link shorteners space is not, excuse the pun, short of competition (Bitly, Tinyurl, Goo.gl, etc.). Linkfire, however, has a unique proposition: To address the complexity in music consumption.

Music consumption has never been this segmented across multiple devices and numerous access and ownership platforms. The idea of pushing out an iTunes link to a Spotify-only user does not make sense; nor does it make sense being pushed to an Android phone owner. Yet these marketing mistakes are made daily. And the alternative of having five links under each post does not bode well in the superficial social media age.